Nearly $80.5 million in Title 1 Program Improvement Corrective Action grants have been announced, following the enactment of the state budget. However, more than $20 million is still at risk of reversion.
Because the state budget was enacted 85 days late, state Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell sent letters to the grantee district superintendents with added urgency to advise them to file the appropriate paperwork by Nov. 15, or the one-time funding may have to be returned to the federal government.
“Now that the long state budget stalemate has passed, we can focus our efforts on ensuring districts receive this funding for intervention services,” O’Connell said.
He added that he has instructed staff at the California Department of Education to do everything possible to assist local educational agencies to properly account for expenditures made for intervention services, for which this money was intended.
O’Connell recommended Corrective Actions to the State Board of Education in March for school districts and county offices of education identified as being in the third year of Program Improvement under the federal No Child Left Behind Act. The Corrective Action included instituting and fully implementing curriculum based on state academic content standards and achievement standards.
In addition, O’Connell recommended differentiated technical assistance. Certain local educational agencies will work with District Assistance and Intervention Teams to analyze data, make recommendations to improve student achievement, and provide the grantee with technical assistance to fully implement the Corrective Action and any recommendations made by their District Assistance and Intervention Team.
Originally, 97 local educational agencies were recommended for Corrective Action. However, two school districts merged into one and the funding formula approved by the state Legislature in the education budget trailer bill allocated the funding based on the number of schools an LEA had in Program Improvement. Four districts identified for Corrective Action did not have any schools in PI and, therefore, were not eligible to receive this funding.
Funding for grantees was allocated based on enactment of the 2008 education trailer bill, Assembly Bill 519 that amended California Education Code Section 52055.57.
An LEA identified for Corrective Action and subject to one or more of seven sanctions identified in state and federal law may apply for a one-year, non-renewable grant of federal funding to assist in its improvement process and may expend these funds over the time period allowable under federal law.
The superintendent may recommend and the State Board of Education may approve that an LEA in Corrective Action contract with a DAIT or other provider. This section of statute was amended to include “other provider” but this is not defined.
The funding cannot be used to pay the cost of a trustee or a receiver if one is assigned to an LEA. No language is included that limits the powers of a trustee. AB 519 does not expand the authority of DAITs or authorize multiple or continuous sanctions to be imposed by the State Board. Essentially current law prevails in these three areas.
The amount of the Corrective Action grant to an LEA shall be allocated as follows:
• Severe category – $150,000 for each school identified for PI.
• Moderate category – $100,000 for each school identified for PI.
• Minor category – $50,000 for each school identified for PI.
The three categories are determined based on an objective criteria approved by the State Board. Currently that criteria is the LEA Priority Index. ACSA is assuming the LEA Priority Index will continue to be used for the next cohort of LEAs who just entered Year 3 of Program Improvement. The assignment of Corrective Actions for the next cohort will occur during the State Board’s November meeting.
For more information on the Corrective Actions, visit www.cde.ca.gov.